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5 Summer Vacation Ideas for Teens

Teens sometimes get a bad rap. People think they’re hard to please and harder to travel with. But the key to traveling with teens—and keeping the whole family happy—is to...

Alaska and the NW Passage: Armchair or on-the-Water Journeys

Family travel when it might mean the demise of all is no figure of speech for two brothers and a sister who maneuvered their 57-foot boat through the Northwest Passage...

Best Advice for Planning Your Summer Vacation

Planning your family vacation can be overwhelming--where to go, what to do, how to get there, you name it. There are a lot of details to planning a summer vacation....

Stress-Free Travel is Right Under Your Nose

Air travel can be stressful nowadays with long lines, flight delays and cramped seating.  Add luggage, children, strollers and even pets to the mix and you have a veritable powder...

Join In Our Instagram #TMOMphoto Meme

This month we are hosting our first Traveling Moms Instagram meme and we would love to have you join in the fun!

A Jersey Girl’s Ode to the Jersey Shore

“’Cause down the shore everything’s all right.” ---Tom Waits, JERSEY GIRL Some see the Jersey Shore as a travel destination, a place to take the family for a couple of...

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Family Travel Experts

Family Travel Stories and Ideas

South Dakota: Where Imagination Guides a Family Vacation
World TravelingMomSouth Dakota: Where Imagination Guides a Family Vacation

Great summer vacations start with planning. Where are we going to go? Where are we going to stay? For my kids one of their all time favorite trips was a road trip through South Dakota.

Our first trip to South Dakota was going to be a quick drive through on our way to somewhere else. Fortunately, we  [ ... ]

Stay Aloft Before Going Aloft at the San Francisco Airport
Pets and Service Dog TravelingmomStay Aloft Before Going Aloft at the San Francisco Airport

It's always refreshing to see a new choice of hotel property near the San Francisco Airport and recently the options have gotten even better.Just a half mile from the airport, this hip and ultra modern new property is a great choice for a comfortable stay before or after flying or when visiting the  [ ... ]

Summer Vacation Ideas in Massachusetts
Finance TravelingMomSummer Vacation Ideas in Massachusetts

Although summer vacation in Massachusetts will start later than usual due to many snow days, it's time to start planning those summer family vacations in Massachusetts! For a small state, Massachusetts boasts some fabulous summer vacation spots - here are a few of the best, along with some insider t [ ... ]

The Chevy Volt: A Dashboard View
History Buff TravelingMomThe Chevy Volt: A Dashboard View

The thought of driving an electric car always seemed a little intimidating to me. Is there a learning curve? What happens when you are in the middle of the highway and the battery runs out? When it comes to the technology of electric cars I am a bit of an auto-techno peasant but I recently had a cha [ ... ]

5 Ideas for Summer Vacations for Christians
Christian TravelingMom5 Ideas for Summer Vacations for Christians

Christians travel for reasons that are almost as varied as the denominations that exist.  Here are a few reasons I love, and need, to travel, along with some ideas for where to go:

A Hidden Gem of a Natural History Museum
Discovery TravelingmomA Hidden Gem of a Natural History Museum

For fans of natural history museums, New York's American Museum of Natural History, DC’s ithsonian National Museum of History, and London’s tural Museum of History draw the masses when it comes to tourists and locals alike. But just past Boston’s Harvard Yard sits a hidden gem of a museum  [ ... ]

Hands-on Fun at the History Colorado Center
Western TravelingMomHands-on Fun at the History Colorado Center

The History Colorado Center is one of the newest museums in Downtown Denver.  Since its opening last year, the History Colorado Center has been teaching visitors about Colorado in a fun and interactive way.  The brightly colored displays draw visitors in and the hands-on activities will ke [ ... ]

Surprise Family Travel: Don't Tell the Kids

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Thomas-Tank-engine“Don't tell the kids.” This is something that is said with some frequency at our house, most recently about a weekend family vacation we'll soon be taking. We will be visiting Cleveland to spend a Day with Thomas the Tank Engine, including taking a ride along the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway, reportedly one of the oldest, longest and most scenic railways for tourists in the country.

Mystery on the Rails with Thomas the Tank Engine
This year's event, “Mystery On The Rails Tour 2012,” has children and parents look for clues that add up to solve a mystery. In addition, interactive displays, storytelling, live music, and photo ops with Sir Topham Hatt will keep the whole family busy all day.

Keeping Family Travel a Secret
But our kids don't know anything about this. In fact, we're telling them we're visiting family (which we will also be doing) and don't plan to breathe a word of Thomas and friends until we pull into the station ourselves. They'll be beside themselves when they see Thomas, but if we tell them too soon before the fact, their questions of “When are we going?” won't stop and, eventually, end up in disappointment when they decide that we're not going at all. Plus, we think the surprise will be well worth keeping it a secret from them.

Day Out With Thomas will make stops in more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada and is expected to welcome more than one million passengers. For more information, visit www.thomasandfriends.com/dowt.

Disclosure: My family and I will be provided with four tickets to the event for the purpose of reviewing it. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Teresa J. Shaw write about work and travel for Traveling Mom. Visit her blog Working Traveling Mom and follow her on Twitter at @TeresaShaw
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Author Profile: Working TravelingMom  - Website

Teresa J. Shaw is a Michigan-based journalist, blogger and editor. Her work has been published on Hilton Homewood Suites' SuiteLiving blog, Prevention, Babies Online, and AnnArbor.com, among other sites. Travel, food and lifestyle writing are her specialties.

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#2 Guest 2012-05-17 10:57
WE took our son to the Days Out with Thomas, and he still counts it as one of his favorite things. Now we do surprise amusement park trips.. but love the surprises!
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#1 China TravelingMom 2012-05-16 22:00
what fun that will be. My parents did these kind of surprise things for us often, and they are fun memories!
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Family Freebies

Summer in Rhode Island: FREE Family Fun
Summer in Rhode Island: FREE Family Fun

Rhode Island may be a small state, but it celebrates summer in a huge, family-friendly way.

One of the best known free warm weather events is the annual Waterfire celebration, [ ... ]

The Players Championship - Free for Military
The Players Championship - Free for Military

When the PGA tour heads to Ponte Vedra Beach, in Northeast Florida this May for The Players Championship they will once again be hosting multiple events for military memb [ ... ]

Milwaukee for Free: 14 Ways to Have Fun
Milwaukee for Free: 14 Ways to Have Fun

Milwaukee, Wisconsin has big city attractions and a friendly Midwestern vibe. Families can take in a Brewers game, or tour a brewery (with soft drinks for the kids). There are [ ... ]